A Realm of Magic and Dragons
by KidHeart4
Summary: The Mighty Ducks end up a realm filled with magic and adventure. This is my adaptation of the Dungeons and Ducks episode that aired early in the season. Heart and Duke have recently become a couple as they face this new adventure with their teammates.


A Realm of Magic and Dragons

By: KidHeart4

Heart:

We had been watching the news with the others. A news caster was accusing us of being cowards for missing a game. Nosedive finally got fed up and turned it off as the man yelled, "If they show up for tomorrow's game, I'll eat an old boot!"

I rested a hand on my brother's shoulder to try and calm him down as he shouted after shutting it off. Then I looked up at Duke as he shook his head and retorted, "Aw, the only reason we missed that game was because we happened to be savin' the world!"

"No," Grin argued with his arms crossed over his chest as he shook his head, "In the words of Hockey Master, Tai Quack Doh, "We Blew It!""

Wildwing sighed, "Grin's right, losing by forfeit is humiliating! As long as I'm captain of this team, we'll never miss another game!"

Before anyone could add anything else Drake One's alarm went off, showing signs of the Raptor. Despite Nosedive's warning that it may be a trap we headed out to the migrator.

When we got to te street in our coordinates we headed out. Wildwing used the mask to find the Raptor, and just as he did shots suddenly fired toward us. We quickly drew our weapons and began fighting back.

Though soon after the fight had started a huge portal was opened up by the Raptor's gateway device. Immediately we grabbed a hold of another, except for Grin, who had been sent flying back behind the building he hung onto now. The rest of us braced ourselves, clinging to one another like a rope of sorts. Wildwing tried to anchor us by grabbing hold of a street sign. Yet the pull of the portal proved to be too much as the metal sign snapped, sending all of us, except Grin, flying through the gateway!

In what fell like mere moments we were dumped into a street near identical to the one we had been on, or so we thought?

"Where are we?" Mallory asked aloud.

"Exactly where we were," Duke stated, a bit confused.

Duke then turned to me as I started to get up. He offered a hand to help me up that I accepted. As I was pulled carefully to my feet I looked around the area. Tanya mentioned that it was impossible for us to be where we were due to being thrown through a dimensional portal. Wildwing and Mallory pointed out that Grin, the Migrator, and the Raptor were all missing as well.

"But everything's the same, even that drug...store?" Nosedive trailed off as he noticed the shop sign.

"Spells and potions?" Wildwing asked.

I found myself approaching te door. The sign above was shaped with a small, metal dragon guarding it. Something felt odd as I grasped the handle. Yet as I hesitated I felt Wildwing put a hand on my shoulder, "You okay little sis?"

"I...I think so," I answered, stepping back as I rubbed my head.

Before I could even blink Duke walked up to me and rested a hand on my shoulder, but I assured him that I was fine.

Wildwing pushed the door open now and we all entered the shop. We passed by several shelves stocked with several bottles with various powders and potions. Jars of strange ingrediants also stood on display. There came a point where I felt I was echoing steps I had walked before, yet couldn't place why. I rubbed the back of my head a bit as this happened and came to a pause behind everyone to try and figure out what was happening.

"Man, do I ever get the feeling we are not in Kansas anymore," Nosedive commented just ahead of me, pulling me back with them.

We finally found someone sitting behind a newspaper at a desk.

"Excuse me...but wha-what are you?" Wildwing enquired.

The short figure jumped up, folding the paper as he exclaimed, "What?! Ya don't know a gnome when you see one?!"

"Look, where are we?" Tanya asked politely.

"You're in Anaheim were else? A once proud kingdom, now under the vile sorceror Asteroth! It disgusts me just to say it! But uh, don't let it get around that I called him that, alright?"

At hearing that name I felt myself grip Duke's hand without realizing it for a moment.

We all kind of looked at each other, surprised. Then the shopkeeper tried to offer us some of his stock in a sale attempt. To which Tanya laughed respectfully, "We're just gonna browse."

After a few minutes of looking around we unfortunately left him dissappointed without a single purchase. As we walked along the street we came to another magic shop with a crystal ball behind the display case. It was showing an advertisement for some sort of breakfast "cereal" called Dragon Flakes, featuring a witch and a little fawn satyr child.

This left Nosedive dumbfounded, "This is blowing my mind Daddio-man!"

Duke seemed to ponder over all of this a moment before speaking, "Well hey it's obvious, we came to Anaheim from another dimension right?"

"I know I saw that episode, go on!" Nosedive rubbed his head.

Duke drew his saber, slashing the air excitedly. "So we've been sent to a totally new dimension! A dimension that's ruled by magic! Sorcery! Adventure! Oh yeah, this is my kinda town baby!"

With every word Duke grew more excited. I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. This was a new side of him I hadn't seen before. And yet, as he spoke, something resonated within me. These concepts seemed strangely familiar.

"Well get used to it, because I don't see how we're ever gonna get out," Wildwing said, lowering Duke's blade with a gloved hand.

Just then we heard a fight of sorts down the street. We all decided to check things out. That's when we found a young warrior wielding a sword and shield fighting off vulture creatures that flew off injured. When he saw us coming he laughed, "Asteroth sends more bird creatures to capture me? Can't he think of something original?"

With that he threw his sword towards Nosedive, but as it flew around him Duke stepped up. He knocked the blade to the ground before approaching the surprised young warrior, "Hey take it easy! You could put someone's eye out with that thing; I should know!"

I winced a bit when he said that, and I couldn't resist resting a hand carefully on his arm. He glanced at me with a reassuring smile.

"You appear to be malevolent creatures," the warrior said with concern as he looked over us.

"Yeah well, looks can de decievin' ya know?" Duke assured, posing heroically with a hand on his hip, "We are friends to anyone that struggles for a good cause! I always wanted ta say that!"

I smiled at his excitement.

"Well then friend, I am glad to see you!" The gnome fighter said, "I am Borg, royal prince of Anaheim!"

Borg was actually smaller than me, but not by much. He was dressed in regal blue pants with a matching tunic. His golden blonde hair reached down his back in a ponytail. His ears were pointed. On his back he carried his sword and shield. After Duke shook his hand Borg asked us to follow him, telling us that it was not safe for him to linger out in the open.

As we followed him I couldn't help but look at our surroundings, noticing vast mountains passed the kingdom's walls. Deep caverns called to me for some reason as I paused in my steps and looked out at them.

"Ya okay sweetheart?" Duke asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I think so," I said uncertainly.

Duke:

Looking at Heart as her gaze remained fixed on the landscape ahead of us I began to wonder about her. The young woman I'd come to know seemed to be lost somehow, and had been so since standing up in this place.

"Do ya know this place?" I pushed gently only to see her shake her head.

"I...I don't believe so...but then...I..." she trailed off, "I almost feel like I've been here before," she said quietly as she rubbed the back of her head.

I gripped her shoulder, "Hey...hey...we're here with ya. No matter what we're on this adventure together right?"

She gave a slight smile and nodded her head.

"I wish we could explore here," I admitted to her as I looked out at the expansive landscape sprawling out beneath the starlit sky with her now.

"Are you secretly a knight?" She teased me.

I shrugged with a light chuckle, "Maybe things would've been different for me here?"

I noticed her slight uneasieness when I said this, and I reassured her, "But not if it meant not meetin' you."

She tried to give a smile before looking out at the skies again, almost as though searching for something that should have been there. However I decided not to push any further for fear of triggering to much too fast with her.

"We're here," I repeated while gripping her hand, "Okay?"

She nodded her head finally smiling back at me.

Heart:

He and I paused before following everyone into an alley. As I looked up at the open sky I felt a pang within me. This place seemed to call to me somehow, but why?

Before Duke could say anything in response Wildwing called us both into the alley. There Borg told us how his kingdom had been enslaved by Asteroth, Lord of the Red Dragon. The sorceror had turned his palace into a citadel of evil, and sent monsters to hunt him down. While I listened with the others I again felt a rush of dread turn my stomach, but tried not to show it. Duke seemed to notice however and stood near me. Then he told him how we had been sent to his world.

"Friends!" Borg announced as he jumped onto the dumpster he'd been sitting on, "I think we can help one another!"

"How your heiness?" Duke enquired.

"Asteroth's amulet is the key to his magic," he said, "help me defeat him and it can return you to your world!"

"Your heiness, it's a deal!" Wildwing agreed, shaking hands with the prince in a way with a single finger, for his whole hand dwarfed that of the gnome prince.

Duke:

As we headed to the palace that Borg once called home I felt excitement taking over me. While we ventured forth Heart seemed to regain her spirits as she remained at my side.

Soon we were in front of the building that in our Anaheim would have been city hall. As Borg lead the way a pair of gargoygles broke through their stone encasements and swooped down towards us. Screeching they flew down spewing flames at us that turned into spears that we quickly deflected with our own weapons. Amidst the fight I stepped before Heart, defending her as I fought.

I knew she could fight rather well. Yet I couldn't stop myself for some reason. This place, this adventure, I loved it. Just for right now I wanted to be a knight for her.

"Duke, I want to fight beside you," she told me as she stepped next to me with her glaive activated.

I smiled. As much as I wanted to fight for her, this admittedly felt even better, "Let's go sweetheart!"

With the help of our teammates we quickly disposed the two creatures, tieing them up with bolo pucks as they crashed to the ground.

"Sorry guy, all flights have been grounded until further notice!" Nosedive told them with a laugh.

Borg laughed, "Well done my friends!"

He then walked up to the entrane, pushing a statue head of a beast facing down to reveal the entrance of the palace. We all filed in after him, taking in the gloomy atmosphere. Skulls with lit torches decorated the otherwise darkened hallways.

"Interesting decor," I mentioned as we walked through.

I felt Heart reach for my hand nervously, but subtely. Looking to her without a word I could see something about this was bothering her. Perhaps something she couldn't quite remember, but I could also see the will to press on none the less. Seeing this I made sure to walk alongside her while keeping her hand in mine.

After a while we had come to what had once been a council chamber. Borg mentioned that it hadn't been used since Asteroth's conquest. Just then we heard rattling footsteps approaching us from the entrance ahead of us. Looking towards the door we saw a squad of skeleton warriors charging toward us.

"I'm guessin' Asteroth's got a few skeletons in his closet huh?" I laughed as I drew my saber and charged to meet them.

"Let's rock ducks!" Mallory cried out.

"I'm with you my friends!" Borg yelled as he drew his sword and shield.

We were soon engaged in battle with the skeletal undead. Each of us seemed to be having fun as we made various puns about skeletons as we battled with them. Though I noticed Heart unusually frozen amidst all this.

"Heart, we need your help!" I called to her encouragingly.

Heart seemed to snap back to her normal self, activating her glaive as she laughed, "Let's take out these boneheads!"

With that she knocked her glaive into one of the oncoming soldiers, causing it to crumble. Then she joined us as we began to regroup.

After taking out a second soldier myself I jumped from the table I had been fighting on, "The coast is clear!"

Just then we heard a lumbering sound of crackling bones as a large shadow fell over us. We turned to see a skeletal giant raising a huge sword over us.

"Woah! Except for him," I asked, keeping Heart behind me this time as I asked our leader, "Got a spare puck Wildwing?"

Without a word our leader placed one in my hand. I then activated it and threw it at the giant as it blew it up.

"Anybody got any more bone jokes?" I asked, "No? Then let's move on!"

We passed through the entrance finding a winding labyrinth before us.

After what felt like an hour or so we found that we seemed to be just getting more and more lost every second. At a point I noticed Heart resting a hand against the stone wall, as though trying to remember something. Yet it passed as she looked to us as we paused in our steps.

"I'm sorry friends, my magic isn't strong enough to get us through the maze," Borg told us, sounding fatigued.

"Mine is!" Wildwing assured as he activated the mask, pointing us in the right direction, "That way!"

In seconds, after blasting away some of the walls, we arrived at a door that we also blasted open. We quickly rushed through the entrance to confront whoever was waiting inside! The group of us stood triumphantly as Nosedive laughed, "Give it up for the ducks!"

The room was drenched in a shrowd of dark magic. Green smoke reached the ceiling from a cauldron in front of us. A tall, frail looking man in a red cloak turned to us laughing, "So, you've survived the journey to my stronghold?"

Heart seemed to faulter at this, stepping behind me for a moment. It was so odd that before she had been so eager to fight with us, but something about this sorceror seemed to bother her, perhaps something she couldn't remember. He seemed to frighten her in a way much more than Dragonus ever did had.

"I'll protect ya," I whispered while the others mocked the dark magician before us.

This seemed to give her some courage as she took a deep breath and stood next to me again.

"No one challenges the Lord of the Red Dragon and lives!" Asteroth warned as he touched the emerald green amulet he wore.

Glancing at Heart quickly her eyes widened to see this as the gem began to glow, emmiting a green light over him. Standing beside her we watched with the others as he changed before us. He now towered over us, growing large wings as he transformed into a red dragon. Then in moments he looked down at us threateningly, letting out a wicked breath of fire! Wildwing quickly raised his shield, guarding us from the flames.

"Time for a mass body check team!" Our leader yelled as we charged forward together.

"I'm with you my friends!" Borg assured as he aided us.

With some effort we managed to push him through the stone wall of the building, knocking him down to the ground below. Though we also fell to the stone streets with him. Asteroth immediately got up, spreading his wings as he took off flying around us, "You'll pay for this!"

He then began breathing fire again, torching the streets as we tried to take cover to make a plan. Yet he stopped us at every street. Instinctively I pulled Heart back behind me again as another flame blocked our path. As we stood there attempting to figure out what to do I held her near me while trying to think quickly.

"Hey, hey!" I realized, "What's the one thing a fire breathin' dragon would fear?"

After a few good humored guesses from our teammates I shook my head, "Those were all very good, but no, water!"

I pointed to the sides of the street, " Yeah if we can keep him penned with those fire hydrants, I think I can get the amulet!"

We quickly got into our places to put our plan into motion. Wildwing and the others stationed themselves near the hydrants while Heart and I climbed one of the towering buildings.

"Ya don't have ta go with me for this one Heart, stay with the others!" I told her as I shot a grappling hook up to the corner of the building.

"I'm staying with you," she said, determined as we climbed up.

I smiled at her, "Alright sweetheart, let's do this then."

Asteroth again swooped down, breathing fire at the streets again. Heart and I had reached the top and were standing ready.

"Now Wildwing!" I called down to them as they shot at the hydrants, releasing the water as it surged from the pipes below.

Asteroth began to ascend, "Water! No!"

"I've got you now!" I laughed as Heart and I jumped from the building, landing on the dragon's back.

"Worthless vermin! Get off me!" Asteroth roared.

Heart and I hung on tight as I drew my saber and cut the golden chain that fastened the amulet to him. As Asteroth roared in rage and began to change back, Heart and I quickly jumped off of his back. I landed on my feet and instinctively held my arms out as I caught her. She blushed as she hugged me, "my dear hero!"

I smiled as I gently set her down before turning to our friends. Borg had caught the amulet, and Asteroth was landing shakily on the ground before us. We quickly surrounded the sorceror, daring him to make a move.

"Now sorceror, you have no power! Be gone!" Borg commanded.

"You may have one this time, princeling," Asteroth hissed, "but you have not learned the last of Asteroth!"

For a split second I noticed as he glanced at Heart, narrowed his eyes, and then glared at us at a group before a pair of wings emerged on his back. With that he flew off into the reddened sky.

"I don't care what anyone says, that guy is a one man party!" Nosedive mocked.

"The tyrant has vanished!" Borg exclaimed proudly, "Anaheim is free again! My friends, how can I ever thank you?"

"You can get us out of here!" Tanya told him quickly, "This place is weird city!"

I looked to Heart, feeling a little reluctant. She seemed to share my thoughts as we looked out the scenery we weren't allowed to explore. Yet we knew we had to return home to our teammate and deal with our mission left back home. Though for a moment I watched her and wondered what all of this had meant for her?

"Easily done!" Borg then assured as he offered the amulet to us, "You must all touch the amulet, and speak the incantation, which is-"

"Don't tell me, There's no place like home?" Nosedive joked, surprising Borg.

"How did you know?" Borg asked bewildered.

Nosedive shrugged, "I own the video."

Heart:

I shook my head, laughing softly at this as we all were engulfed by a bright light again and pulled into the portal. In moments we were transported home. Though we still couldn't rest as a large device shook the city, threatening to tear it down. Phil called to us from a building, captured along with Grin as he pleaded for our rescue. Duke told me to stay with Mallory and Tanya as he and the guys rushed in, rescuing our two family members just as the building crumbled to the ground. Meanwhile Tanya examined the cable of the device, but Mallory interupted her as she fired a puck launcher upwards, destroying the device and saving the city from destruction.

Once it was safe again we were able to deactivate the binds around Grin and Phil.

"How did you get back?" Grin asked.

Wildwing held out the amulet, "With this, we'll have to put it some place safe."

"You can use it as a puck for all I care! You guys have a game in five minutes!" Phil yelled.

Minutes later we were on our way to the Pond. Then I stood with Phil behind the boards as my teammates hurried onto the ice, cutting off the news reporter that had tried to drive our name into the mud. As they skated up to meet the opposing team, Nosedive threw an old boot to him, "Enjoy the play of sole buddy!"

With that the game started, and Duke quickly got a hold of the puck. I cheered excitedly.

"Sorry fellas, there'll be no forfeits tonight!"He shouted before hitting the puck into the goal.

The crowd cheered as the team met at the center to hit their sticks together in a momentary celebration and then returned to the game.

Duke:

Pride filled my heart when I heard Heart cheering my name. Once it was time for a quick break from play I skated over to her as she threw her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug. I smiled, blushing a little myself as she kissed me on the cheek and I hugged her back. In that moment I was again reminded of how lucky I felt when she looked at me. No matter the world, knight in shining armor or a swashbluckling thief, I was a hero in her sapphire eyes. With every day I changed a little more, walking away from the lonely life I once had and keeping her with me now. I vowed to continue on this path so I could always fight beside her, and protect her if she ever needed me to. And if her past ever did return, no matter what she faced or was from, I would be there with her to face it side by side.

"Go win this game!" Heart cheered as we headed back to the ice, exchanging high fives with her while we each skated to the center.

Though before I followed the others I kissed her quickly, promising to not let her down. And that night we certainly didn't.


End file.
